Super Mario Bros
by nintendofreak247
Summary: We all know the tale of the two plumbers who saved a princess. But do you know how the story began? Learn the true origins of the Mario Bros. in this epic reboot of the original Nintendo video game.
1. Prologue

Our story begins in a mysterious land, hidden away from the rest of the world. This land is commonly known as the Mushroom Kingdom. It is ruled by a man named Toadsworth, who shares the throne with his daughter, Peach. The Mushroom Kingdom is inhabited by small people that resemble toadstools. These are the Toads, and they all live in peace and harmony under King Toadsworth's rule.

The year is 1980. Princess Peach is awaiting the return of her father, who has gone out looking for a suitor to marry her. If the Toadstool bloodline is to be continued, Peach must be married soon. Within the next hour, a knock is heard from the foyer. Peach rushes to the door and opens it to see her father, who is standing next to a tall, slender man in a green suit. Almost in an instant, the man extends his arm out to Peach, and introduces himself.

"Greetings, my fair princess. The name's Lord Bowser and it's a pleasure to meet you."

The princess shakes hands with Bowser, and Toadsworth decides to pipe up.

"Yes, quite right…this is Lord Bowser. I met him on my way back from the town square, and he appears to be a rather nice fellow. He's been dying to meet you ever since I mentioned you to him, and I do think I recall him saying he was royalty of some sort..."

"That's right Princess, I was once considered a King sometime before. But those times have passed, and now I'm nothing but your basic man in need of love."

The Princess blushed, and held Lord Bowser's hand.

"You seem to be very sweet to me, my Lord. Would you care for some cake?"

Bowser kissed the Princess's hand and nodded.

With that kiss, we fast-forward a year into the future, into the year 1981. It is the day of Lord Bowser & Princess Peach's wedding, and several Toads are filing into seats in front of the altar. Peach is wearing a luxurious snow white wedding dress, while Bowser is wearing a fancy, green tuxedo. His orange hair is pressed with gel, and it resembles a roaring flame. The Toadstool priest walks up to his podium and opens his large book, which is about twice the size of his head.

"Dearly beloved, we are here today to join two people who love each other together in the act of holy matrimony. By the power of the Almighty Seven Star Spirits, let us begin this marriage. Is there any objection before we begin this ritual?"

The room is silent for a few seconds, then Bowser leans in to whisper something to Peach.

"Honey…you don't mind that I invited a few of my old friends, do you?"

"Of course not! Why would it matter?"

"Oh…no big reason…"

Suddenly, Lord Bowser steps away from the princess and lets out a terrifying roar. A black light surrounds him as everyone watches in fear, trembling in their seats. The light fades away, and Lord Bowser is no longer human. He now resembles a giant turtle with a spiky shell, with a few dragon-like features mixed in. Bowser turns toward the back of the church and lets out a roaring command:

"KOOPA PACK…ATTACK!"

King Toadsworth quickly rises from his throne on the balcony and yells down at Bowser:

"What the blazes is going on? Who the hell are you?"

Before Toadsworth can utter another sentence, the stained-glass windows of the hall shatter as hundreds of Koopa Paratroopas flood inside. They beat the Toads with their wings as they try to escape the chaos, but the Paratroopas block the doors and windows. Bowser turns to the King and roars over the madness:

"I AM BOWSER, KING OF THE KOOPAS! THIS KINGDOM IS NOW OURS!"

King Koopa sends a rain of burning fire across the edge of the balcony, and Toadsworth jumps down just in time to avoid being charred to death. He grabs Peach, who is standing in shock, and pulls out his staff. He utters a spell under his breath that sends a blast of energy into a wall, making an opening for them to escape. They both dash into the cave, as Bowser orders a group of Koopas to make chase. Before they can be caught, they dive under a rock formation, and the Koopas run past them and into the darkness. As Peach dusts the soil off of her knees, Toadsworth utters another spell that opens a portal in the rock. He takes her hands and addresses her seriously.

"Peach…my dearest daughter…it's too dangerous to be here right now. That monster will kill you on the spot, and I need to protect my nation. You must go into hiding for a while, and I will come for you when the time is right. Now…into the portal, before those turtle monsters come back for us."

Peach's hands begin to tremble, and her eyes tear up.

"Oh daddy…please stay safe…"

They both share a hug, and the princess begins to step into the portal. Just as she is about to warp, Bowser crashes through the rock and grabs Toadsworth.

"DADDY NOOOO!"

Before she can do anything, she is whisked away by the magical portal. Bowser chuckles under his breath as he grasps Toadsworth by the throat.

"It's time for you to join your subjects in working for me! You will now be a worthless Toad for the rest of your life!"

Bowser tightened his grip, and in a flash of light, King Toadsworth transformed into a small, brown-headed Toad with a mustache. Bowser roared with laughter as he trudged out of the cave and back into the hall, which was now in shambles. The Toads were being led out the door in chains, and Bowser locked Toadsworth in place, in the front of the formation.

"I am your king now! OBEY ME!"

The Toads trembled in fear, and Toadsworth led them out the door with his head hung low. A tear fell from his eye as he spoke softly:

"Good luck daughter…we will meet again…"

Somewhere in a dark alleyway, a portal opened up in a brick wall. Out came Princess Peach, and she was frightened by the previous events. She had no idea where her father had sent her, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. After brushing dust off of her wedding dress, she slowly walked out into the light, and was met with a bustling city street. Several people passed her on the sidewalk, and there were towering buildings surrounding her on all sides. Looking around the streets for a sign that would tell her where she was, her eyes fell upon a billboard across the street.

"…Welcome to Brooklyn?"

Princess Peach was in Brooklyn, New York. She began to realize that she needed to adapt to her new surroundings and get used to this place until she could reunite with Toadsworth. Noticing a bank next to the alleyway, she decided that she should exchange her coins for whatever currency that these people used. Pulling her little coin bag out of her pocket, she pushed open the door and was met with odd stares. Ignoring them, she went to the counter and set her coins on the counter.

"Excuse me? I need assistance here…"

A man walked out from the back of the room and placed his hands on the counter, appearing to be annoyed but still keeping a smile on his face.

"What can I do for ya, lady?"

"What can I get for these coins?"

Peach opened her coin bag and emptied the contents onto the counter. All the people in the bank gasped when they saw the giant, golden coins clink onto the granite. The bank teller immediately picked up a coin and examined it with a tiny magnifying glass.

"Is this SOLID gold?"

"Yes, but it isn't really much…"

"Lady, I could give you a fortune for this!"

"…Really?"

Soon after, Peach walked out of the bank with $5,000 dollars fit snugly in her pocket. Using the money, she rented an apartment and started her life anew in Brooklyn. Also, realizing that Peach wasn't a common name in New York; she created an alter-ego that she would go by until she could return to the Mushroom Kingdom. Her new name was Pauline Toadstool. And this is where the real story begins.


	2. Donkey Kong

The year was late 1981, and the Princess had managed to fit into retro Brooklyn society. She bought a small apartment downtown, and all of her New York friends knew her as Pauline. On this particular day, Pauline was returning from the supermarket with a few frozen mushroom pizzas in the trunk of her 1977 Mercedes Benz. As she pulled up to a red light in an intersection, she turned on the radio to find an odd message coming through:

[ATTENTION ALL DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN RESIDENTS]

A rogue gorilla has just escaped from the Bronx Zoo and appears to be headed toward your area. We advise you to stay indoors and if possible, lock and board all of your windows until authorities can contain the ape. We repeat, stay indoors until the ape is contained. That is all.]

The Princess switched off her radio as the light turned green, and she turned into the road leading to her apartment building. Next door to the building was an area in construction, a soon-to-be arcade. Peach pulled up to the front of the construction site and began to unload her groceries, while some of the local carpenters watched on their rafters.

"…She's a real beauty isn't she bro?"

"The girl with the blonde hair? She seems a bit high-maintenance for either of us…"

"This comes from the guy who couldn't even get a date for the high school prom."

"…Shut up Mario…"

These two carpenters were the Mario Bros, some of Brooklyn's finest. They lived across the street from the Princess, and they both had rather impressive mustaches. Mario was the older brother, while his younger brother, who went by the name Luigi, was a bit shy around women. Before Mario could introduce himself however, he was shoved aside by one of his "larger" co-workers.

"Outta the way Mario! If anyone's gonna get this girl, it's gonna be Wario!"

This larger co-worker was Wario, Mario & Luigi's distant cousin. He lived in New Jersey, but he was spending the month with them, working as a carpenter to raise money for a boat. Wario was pretty friendly around the ladies, and he wasn't afraid to show it. He perched himself up against Peach's car and introduced himself.

"S'up toots? The name's Wario, and you look like you could use a drink. How about you & me get some dinner at the old pizza parlor uptown, say…seven?"

Peach slammed her trunk and turned to Wario, with a smug look on her face.

"Maybe next time, tubby. I'm busy."

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from around the corner. Peach and Wario turned to check what was happening, and almost out of nowhere, a fire-red Ferrari flew out from behind the corner and crashed into the sidewalk.

"MY CAR!"

Luigi ran up to the crushed convertible and began to sob as a massive gorilla turned the corner and let out a roar. Wario made a run for it and dashed down the street as the ape grabbed Peach and leaped into the construction site.

"Let me go you damn dirty ape!"

Peach hollered as the gorilla grabbed the rafters and heaved itself to the top of the stack of iron girders, beating its chest with pride. Mario turned on his heels and looked up at the crazy gorilla, with the sun glaring in his eyes.

"…Just when I started to think that things were normal here in Brooklyn…"

Without a second thought, Mario ran up to the girders and started to climb them, one by one, squeaky ladder by squeaky ladder. The gorilla was angry, and it noticed a pile of empty barrels sitting behind it. In about three seconds, a hail of splintering wood came hurtling down toward the determined carpenter, who leaped over each one with ease. Pulling a hefty mallet out of his utility belt, he began to bash the barrels as he continued his construction site marathon, with Pauline screaming in terror. Before the Princess could let out another shriek, Mario leaped up to the top of the site, and the gorilla let out a deafening grunt.

"C'mon! Fight me, you oversized orangutan!"

The gorilla hurled itself at Mario, who jumped in the air and kicked it at the last second. The ape crashed into the rafter, causing it to break apart, and the site began to sway back and forth. Mario grabbed Pauline and jumped over to a nearby tower as the construction site crumbled to the ground, with the gorilla plummeting all the way. Police sirens wailed as several officers injected the gorilla with tranquilizer, and loaded it into an armored truck. Mario climbed down a ladder with the Princess in one arm, and she hopped down into the dirt before Mario followed her.

"Wow…that was…interesting…"

"Tell me about it. I'd try not to get abducted by monkeys from now on, lady."

"I'll try. I cannot thank you enough...what's your name again?"

"I'm Mario, and that's my brother Luigi over there."

Mario pointed over to Luigi, who was still shedding tears over his shattered car.

"IT TOOK ME SEVEN YEARS TO SAVE UP FOR THAT CAR!"

"That's fantastic Luigi. Anyway, I don't have much to do later on today…do you wanna maybe catch a movie with me later?"

Pauline smiled and put her hand on Mario's shoulder.

"If that's how you want me to repay you, I'd be happy to."

The Princess then went to pick up her groceries, and she went into her apartment as the police cars began to drive away. Mario went up to Luigi and said with a sigh:

"I've still got it bro. I've still got it."


	3. The Adventure Begins

"Hey Luigi…which suit do you think I should wear? The one with the red pinstripes, or the one with the blue collar?"

"…Mario…I will never…ever care about what clothes you wear on a date. But I'd go with the red pinstripes."

"Really? I thought they made me look fatter than usual…"

"Look Mario, unless you wanna travel in time to the year 1999 and buy yourself a suit made out of indestructible chrome, the red pinstripes are your best choice right now."

It was September 13, 1985. Mario and Pauline had been dating for about four years now, and Mario was preparing to go on a big date. Unknown to Luigi however, Mario had made a little trip to the jewelry store on his way home from work that evening. He was going to propose to Pauline that night, and he bought an expensive, 24 karat golden engagement ring for the occasion. He slipped it into the shirt pocket of his red suit-jacket and opened the door to the apartment, shouting to Luigi before getting in the car:

"Luigi! If Wario comes by while I'm out, make sure he doesn't touch the fridge in the basement! We need that mushroom pizza for tomorrow night!"

"That's like asking a toothpick to defend a fridge from a silverback gorilla!"

"Well then…good luck!"

Luigi let out a sigh as Mario walked up to the Princess's front stoop and rang the doorbell. Peach was inside washing dishes when she heard it, so she called out:

"I'm kinda busy right now! Who is it?"

"It's-a me…Mario!"

"Oh hey Mario! I keep a spare key under the welcome mat, just let yourself in!"

Mario unlocked the door and walked into the Princess's humble abode. It wasn't much different than your typical apartment from the 1980's, all except for a little porcelain mushroom that sat on her window-sill. "Pauline" was wearing a pink dress with an aqua-blue brooch resting below her neck, and she threw off her rubber dishwashing gloves as she ran up to Mario and gave him a kiss.

"How's it going, honey? You got anything special planned for tonight?"

"Of course I do! We got a reservation at "Casa del Romancia", the best restaurant on this side of the Brooklyn Bridge! You'll love it!"

"I know I'll love it! I'm starving…"

"Well then what're we sittin' around here for? Your chariot awaits, miss…"

Mario pushed open the door and gestured toward a brand-new, black 1983 Camaro resting in the Mario Bros' driveway. The Princess gasped and wrapped her arms around Mario:

"Mario…it's gorgeous! How did you afford that?"

"I've been saving up for a new car since I got fired from the carpenter job and started plumbing, so it felt like now would be the perfect time to break her in…shall we depart?"

Pauline skipped down the steps and climbed into the passenger seat of the new car. The seats were lined with fine leather, and a strong gust of A/C blew through her hair. Mario settled into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb as he switched on the radio. The small radio crackled to life as Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" began to emit through the speakers, and Mario rolled down the window to let the air in. After about 15 minutes of driving, the Camaro rolled into the parking lot of "Casa del Romancia," and the car came to a stop. The two lovers held hands as they walked into the restaurant and took their reserved table, settled under a dimly lit candle-light in the corner.

"Hello sir and welcome to Casa del Romancia, Brooklyn's finest in Italian cuisine. May I start you off with an appetizer?"

"Sure! We'll take some stuffed mushrooms and garlic knots, my good man!"

"Yes sir, very good sir. We'll be back with your appetizer in a minute."

As the waiter walked off towards the kitchen, Mario excused himself and caught up with him before he could leave.

"Hey, do you think you might be able to slip this ring under the mushrooms? I'm proposing to my girl tonight, and I wanna make it special."

The waiter grinned and took the ring from Mario's gloved fingers.

"I think we might be able to arrange that, sir. Nessun problema!"

The waiter walked off into the kitchen as Mario returned to his seat across from the Princess, who thought he had just returned from the restroom.

"This restaurant is top-notch! You didn't have to go to such lengths just for me…"

"I'll do anything for my little peach!"

Mario did not know the significance of that word to the Princess, but for her, it triggered a flow of memories that she hadn't recalled in years. She remembered her wedding day. She remembered the ambush. She remembered her father's last-ditch effort to save her life. She remembered everything.

"Pauline? Pauline? Are you alright?"

The Princess had actually went into a trance from the aforementioned memories, and she immediately snapped out of it.

"Oh, sorry Mario. I must've gotten lost in my own thoughts…"

Before Pauline could finish her sentence, the waiter came out from the kitchen with a small tray, followed by a small group of violinists who set themselves up on a platform close to their table. The waiter placed the serving of stuffed mushrooms in the center of the table with a wink, and the violinists began to play a romantic piece. Mario picked up one of the mushrooms and took a bite.

"This place has the best mushrooms I've ever eaten! You ever had mushrooms before?"

The Princess was lost in thought again, this time thanks to the mushrooms. She remembered all of the Toads that were enslaved all those years ago, and how frantically they tried to escape the church. She imagined the tight grip of the chains as they were led out the doors…

"Are you in another world or something?"

Pauline snapped out of it once again as she picked up a mushroom and smiled.

"I'm sorry…I guess I was just lost in the music…"

Mario picked up the third mushroom as he eyeballed the last one which was sitting alone on the fancy plate. The ring was under that mushroom. He tugged at his collar and took in a deep breath as he wiped his mouth with a gold-laced napkin.

"You can have the last one, honey. I wanna leave some room for the entrée."

Pauline nodded as she reached for the last mushroom. Time seemed to slow down for Mario as butterflies flew around in his stomach, and a chill ran through his system. However, just as the Princess laid a finger on the tiny stuffed mushroom, something odd happened.

A deep rumbling noise began to be heard under the floor of Casa del Romancia, and it became more intense with each second. Pauline pulled her hand back and stood up from her chair, as Mario followed suit. The entire restaurant shook and rumbled as the vibration began to cause some people to fall. Almost out of nowhere, an explosion caused a large hole to form in the carpeted floor. People standing close by flew into walls as a thick smoke poured out of the mysterious pit. Mario took Pauline's hand as a shadowy figure rose from the abyss and waved the smoke away with what appeared to be claws. Restaurant patrons ran out the door and leaped through shattered windows as the figure let out an ear-shattering roar.

"Hey there Princess! Long time no see!"

It was Bowser, and he was even stronger than he was before. He leaped out from the pit and landed in front of Mario, easily swiping him aside and lunging at the Princess. Mario crashed into a brick wall and fell to the ground in deep pain as Peach yelled at the top of her lungs, trapped tightly in the Koopa King's grasp.

"It wasn't nice of you to run away at the altar, Princess! You left me a bachelor for a long time! Well you're lucky I've finally managed to find you, because you're coming back to the Kingdom with me and marrying me! A proper King needs a proper Queen at his side, am I right?"

"I would NEVER marry you after what you did to my people, you lying scumbag! Let go of me!"

Bowser chuckled as he leaped down into the abyss with Peach screaming the entire way. The pit closed up after them, leaving nothing but a green pipe in its place. Mario shook his head and pulled himself up from the rubble, bewildered at what just happened. He ran over to the table they were previously occupying and snatched the engagement ring from the mushroom platter, stashing it away in his shirt-pocket and running out the front door. He found a pay-phone and dialed the number for his apartment, hoping Luigi would pick up. And surely enough, he did.

"Mario Bros. Plumbing, no leak too small!"

"Luigi it's me, Mario! Some crazy stuff just happened down at Casa del Romancia, and I need you to get down here as fast as you can!"

"Right!"

In about 10 minutes, Luigi revved around the corner in his newly repaired Ferrari, and leaped out of the driver's seat, approaching Mario on the sidewalk.

"What happened? Did Pauline break up with you?"

"Worse! She just got kidnapped by some giant turtle monster and I have no idea where it took her! And I was just about to propose to her too!"

"…Excuse me…what was that part about a giant turtle monster?..."

Mario grabbed Luigi's wrist and pulled him into the restaurant as they observed the wreckage. Tables were tossed across the floor, curtains were torn, and various Italian foods were strewn across the floor. The green pipe suddenly caught Mario's eye, and he dragged Luigi over to investigate.

"This is the exact spot that the turtle freak came out of the ground. Do you think this pipe could lead us to Pauline?"

"Well…after that little fiasco we had with pipes back in '83, I don't think I'm the one to doubt what pipes can and can't do."

"If it'll lead me to my peach, then I'll gladly go down there and check it out! C'mon Luigi! We've got some plumbing to do!"

Mario jumped down into the pipe as Luigi stood wide-eyed. He was hesitant at first, but he eventually followed Mario down into the pipe. He screamed as he fell at increasing speeds, and a small light began to appear at the bottom. Before he knew it, Luigi fell through the pipe and on top of Mario, and they both let out a groan.

"Are we done plumbing now?..."

Mario pulled himself up from the ground and examined his surroundings. There were several hills all around, and the ground was laden with a combination of desert-rocks and grass. After taking a quick glance upward, his eyes fell upon a row of floating blocks, some brown, some yellow. The yellow blocks were labeled with question marks, and giant golden coins rested upon some of the brown blocks. Mario turned to Luigi, who was still on the floor in pain.

"Luigi…I don't think we're in Brooklyn no more…"


End file.
